Final Farewell
by RFTA
Summary: Trials and Tribulations Spoilers.  Mia prepares for one last farewell.


Disclaimer: I do not own the Ace Attorney series, or any of it's characters.

Trials and Tribulations Spoilers.

Mia prepares to say one final goodbye...

* * *

You did it all for me...

You didn't know that this wasn't what I wanted.

Except...I think you did know...

And now, I'm standing here,

And I'm too ashamed to see you.

Diego...

We should have had so much more...

But no one can control fate, or predict the future.

We never had the time we should have.

I never knew that you'd be taken from me.

Taken by the intense darkness in your cup.

Taken by that woman.

I got our revenge on her.

For you, for me.

But I failed you, Diego.

I swore that I would wait for you.

Wait for that day, when you finally opened your eyes again.

I didn't believe though.

I didn't really think you'd ever wake.

* * *

In those last few, precious days, I could see it.

You wanted that woman to pay, and you weren't going to let anything stop you.

Because you always believed in justice, always believed that a criminal should pay for their crimes.

That wasn't the only reason though.

You were doing it for me as well. I could see it in your eyes.

You wanted to help my scarred soul finally heal.

I was so devastated after that trial...I couldn't focus on revealing the truth.

You never faltered though. You were determined.

That was only one of the many things I loved about you.

* * *

And because I was so weak, her plan to keep you quiet worked.

I should have been by your side, protected you, like you always protected me.

When I heard the news, that you had been poisoned...

My sadness turned to a furious rage, the likes of which I've felt only once.

I decided that she would pay for what she did.

And finally, she did.

The victory was so hollow, though, in the end.

It took your sacrifice to convict her.

And indicting her, couldn't bring you back.

* * *

There was hope, you weren't dead, after all.

Just...sleeping.

That's what the doctor's told me.

Again, and again, and again.

A record stuck in a permanent groove.

I screamed at them,

Screamed that you would one day come back to me.

Hiding the dark shadow of doubt in my soul.

I never even told Maya about you,

Because, I wasn't strong enough to keep the faith.

I could always believe in my clients,

But I couldn't believe in you.

Three years past.

And gradually, the visits became less and less.

Then Phoenix came to work for me,

I was...lonely.

I thought someone could take your place...if only temporarily.

Even my junior partner...

It was cute, really.

He looked terrified when I invited him out for a drink.

And...I'm glad it didn't work out.

Glad I didn't betray you any more than I already have.

I can't pretend though...

If my life hadn't been stolen from me,

Stolen because I didn't know my own limits,

I don't know what would have happened...

Between Phoenix and myself.

* * *

In the month before my death,

The visits became more frequent.

As they were when you first fell into that deep, deep sleep.

And it was all out of guilt.

You looked so pale,

Your once warm black hair turned icy white, from the poison, they said,

Barely breathing,

I felt so conflicted...

Ever since the trial, when I had gotten revenge,

I had thrown myself into revealing White for the parasite he was.

And I had gotten so close...close to finally achieving my goal.

My emotions interfered once again, and I didn't take the precautions I should have.

If I had only been more careful...

None of us would be here, now.

* * *

You finally awoke, and I wasn't there for you.

And because I didn't want anyone to see my doubts, neither was anyone else.

You began a useless vendetta against Phoenix.

You always did have to have a goal in your life.

You should have known...

Phoenix couldn't have saved me, because I never confided in him.

You and you alone were the only person I shared my hopes, dreams, fears and nightmares with.

To everyone else, I was the teacher, the elder sister,

Only with you, was I able to really be Mia.

I thank you so much for giving me that gift.

* * *

I never forgot you, Diego.

Even though, my body has long since turned to ash,

My feelings for you are still there, even now.

I recognised you, you know,

That day, in the Courtroom.

Even with that mask, I'd know you anywhere,

But time was against us again,

And I wasn't able to talk to you then.

I should have asked Phoenix to have Maya or Pearl summon me later, but I couldn't...

I was too ashamed, too scared to face you.

And those negative feelings overcame those of happiness,

I was so terrified, the next time Maya summoned me.

I didn't want to face you again,

I didn't want either of us to suffer more pain.

Because, despite what we had, I'm dead.

And there is no way for us to be together now.

No way for us to take back the time that was so cruelly stolen from us.

I knew you recognised me as well, unsurprisingly.

You knew, didn't you...?

You knew that I wouldn't approve of your "revenge".

That's why you didn't try to talk to me.

You didn't want to lose your only purpose in life.

You didn't want to see the sadness, the _pity_ in my eyes, when I saw what you'd become.

You always were proud.

* * *

You knew you were lashing out unfairly,

You knew that my death had nothing to do with Phoenix,

That's why you couldn't really hate him, despite what you told yourself.

And...I left you with that pain.

If I had asked you to stop...

Would it have hurt you, same as me, to share a brief moment that would have been a too painful reminder of the past?

Would you have respected my wishes?

Would things have turned out the way they did?

* * *

There's no way to know for certain, and if there's anything I've learnt from all this,

It's that time cannot be reversed, no matter how much we wish it could.

* * *

You blamed yourself for not protecting me.

A baseless accusation born from guilt.

It wasn't your fault.

You must believe that.

Because of your imaginary sin, you vowed to protect one of the few parts of me that still exist in the living world.

Maya...

And ultimately, you committed a grave crime.

All to save my sister.

You became the thing you hated the most.

A criminal.

And even then,

Battered and worn down as you were, you stayed strong.

Even though you wanted to test Phoenix...

You weren't going to let the trial end without the truth being revealed.

Even though you could have escaped, didn't have to face conviction,

You held your head high, as you insisted on final testimony,

Even though you knew there could only be one ending.

You held yourself to the same standards you judged everyone else by.

* * *

Even though it were my mother, who lost her life...

I wouldn't have been able to end it.

I couldn't have indicted you.

I wanted to let you cry.

But I never would have had the strength. Not when I was alive, and not even after death.

I owe Phoenix so much, for finally ending your pain, where I couldn't...

And I envy him as well.

And, the end of the trial finally taught me something...

Although I can sometimes help...

After a point, the living must take care of the living.

The dead do not belong in this world.

If it had been me that day...

I would have failed you again, Diego.

* * *

Don't you see, Diego?

It's all my fault,

That you ended up the way you did.

You should hate me.

And yet, even though I don't want to admit it, even though your eyes are eternally hidden from me now,

I can see see the love in you.

That blood on your hands, will never come off.

And yet, you still love me.

And now, I stand out here summoned by Maya,

She knew that you wanted to save her,

And, as thanks, she called me here, today,

So, we can finally say goodbye.

Even though I know this will hurt me...

Thank You, Maya.

No matter what you've done, I know, inside, you are and always will be Diego Armando.

And, even though, I have no right to ask you for anything, after all the pain I've caused you...

I just want to ask you...

To please remember one thing...

I love you, Diego.

* * *

Author's note: I do apologise for being out of character with Mia. To be honest, I've never felt anything other than indifference towards her, and that made it very hard to write...almost anything that would be consistent with her character. The whole Mia/Godot storyline moved me so much though, I just had to write this. Also, I have to apologise for the formatting. 


End file.
